Browns and Bengals Meet in Monday Night Football matchup

The Cleveland Browns (2-5) host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) in a Monday Night Football matchup to finish off Week 8.

The Cleveland Browns

The Browns have dropped four straight. A win is necessary for the Browns in this divisional matchup, head coach Kevin Stefanski said.

In three of these four losses, the Browns have been within one touchdown of the win.

Stefanski praised Cincinnati’s recent performances, noting the team gets out to a fast start and the defense plays strong in the second half. Therefore, the coach said he knows his team will need to bring its best for this intrastate matchup.

Running back Kareem Hunt requested a trade in August; the team initially declined his request. However, the Browns are now willing to grant the trade to receive compensation instead of losing him in free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals

The defending AFC Champions, led by Joe Burrow, started the season 0-2. However, the Bengals have rebounded, winning four out of their last five games.

The Bengals are coming off a 35-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons and will look to take that momentum into this divisional matchup. Against the Falcons, Burrow had one of the best performances of his career. He recorded 481 passing yards, passed for three touchdowns and ran for another touchdown. However, against the Browns, Burrow is 0-3.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said the Browns have a strong offense and run the ball well, which will make them difficult to defend.

Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will not play in this matchup due to a injury, taking him out for four to six weeks. His injury could have complications on the team’s offense, as he has had a huge impact on the Bengal’s wins. In the past two weeks, he has recorded at least 130 receiving yards and two touchdown in each game.

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Game kickoff is set for Monday at 8:15 p.m.